Ravens and Cherry Blossoms
by SorrowoftheHeart
Summary: AU. ItaSaku. He was always the best at what he did, everything he did. She admired that, had for a long time. She thought he didn't know she existed. He did. When the two of them are forced to work together in Anbu, will romance bloom?
1. Chapter 1

**Ravens and Cherry Blossoms**

**By: SorrowoftheHeart**

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Naruto or the characters from it. They belong to Kishimoto.**

**Author's Note****: This is an AU story in which the Uchiha were never wiped out. However Minato and Kushina were still killed, leaving Naruto an orphan. I hope you will enjoy this story.**

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**Chapter I**

The sun shone brightly as the birds chirped and sang to their heart's delight, it was another beautiful and peaceful day in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. At least, so it had seemed. In a quaint looking apartment, there was a sudden banging on the door that could be heard all of the way into a certain green eyed girl's bedroom, thus rousing her from her slumber. She had every intention of ignoring whoever it was, but when the persistent knocking continued she knew it would not go away. So with a growl, she emerged from the covers and got out of bed. Already knowing who it was, she stomped to the door and yanked it open as she fixed a fiery glare on the blond on the other side.

He paused and blinked his blue eyes, before smiling sheepishly at the irate pink haired young woman before him. He rubbed the back of his neck, averting his gaze as he stepped backwards a bit as if afraid she would lash out at him for waking her up on her day off. "Hey there Sakura-chan! Sorry to wake you up but Teme and I were wonder-" "No."

The door would have slammed shut in his face, if not for the foot he extended to keep the door open. It would seem that he would not be deterred so easily, if his name wasn't Uzumaki Naruto. Which it was, of course. "Aw, c'mon, Sakura-chan! You didn't even let me finish!" The blond whined, despite knowing it was not a good idea to further irritate the kunoichi on the other side. However, he would be damned if he would let his best friend sleep away this special day.

"Get your foot out of the door, Naruto. It's my day off and I intend to sleep it off!" The kunoichi growled back, trying to push his foot back so that she could close the door. Realizing that he wasn't going to give in, she scowled and open the door more. Before she could tear into him, there was a sigh from the previously unnoticed companion as Naruto was shoved aside. Ignoring the crash behind him, Sasuke Uchiha leveled his dark coal gaze upon his female teammate.

"Sakura, Mother has already planned the day and insists that you come and spend it with our family." He had his hands stuffed into the pockets of his pants, blatantly ignoring the angry look on the female before him. Sakura's expression changed before softening as she heaved a sigh, knowing she was trapped. He just had to bring up his mother, didn't he?

Mikoto Uchiha was a beautiful and strong woman, but when it came to parties and planning things, she could be worse than Ino. Yes, Sakura knew that today was her birthday but after weeks of working, she had wanted to just relax and do nothing. However, it seemed that her wishes would not be respected as she moved from the door, leaving it open as she trudged into her living room. Sasuke, knowing what this meant, stepped inside followed by a wary Naruto.

"Fine, fine, I'll come if only to satisfy your mother, Sasuke-kun." She loved Mikoto like another mother and the Uchiha matriarch doted on her and treated her like the daughter she never had. It was hard to resist her summons and Sakura did love her cooking too. "Just wait here while I get showered and dressed… and keep Naruto out of the fridge, will you?"

With a defeated slump to her shoulders, the pinkette sauntered off to her room to get ready for a day that would hopefully get better. She entered her bedroom and closed the door behind her, walking over to the closet and flinging it open as she placed her hands on her hips. Her green eyes surveyed her clothing choices, pondering on what to wear. It was a good thing that Ino was not here; otherwise she would have been forced to go all out in looking good. After a few moments, she figured out what she wanted to wear and plucked the article of clothing up before laying it on her bed.

With most of her clothing choice laid out on the bed, she moved to head into the adjoining bathroom to take her shower. Twenty minutes later and Sakura was showered and dressed. She had decided on a simple white sun dress that had flowers on it and tied in the back with some ribbon. For shoes, she wore some wedge sandals that were ivory in color and came up to her ankles to be tied neatly. For accessories she had chosen a pair of studded earrings that were in the shape of pink cherry blossom petals. The earrings were a gift from Ino, on her sixteenth birthday. To match them, she wore a simple silver bracelet with sakura charms dangling from it.

Now it was time for makeup and to do something about her hair. She decided on going with a more natural look though wore eyeliner to make her eyes pop. Upon her lips were a pink gloss, that made them look shiny and smelled of cherries. For her hair, she decided to pull it up in a neat bun with some of her hair escaping the tie and decorated with a red ribbon. Checking herself in the mirror, she then exited her bedroom and headed into the living room.

Naruto and Sasuke had made themselves at home in her absence, though it seemed that Naruto took the term more literal as he was splayed across the couch like he owned the place. Sasuke sat in a chair, with his arms crossed over his chest. Hearing her come into the room, the two boys shifted their attention to their female teammate and couldn't help but stare. With a goofy grin spreading across his lips, Naruto sprung up and looked her over once more.

"Sakura-chan, you look beautiful! Doesn't she, Teme?" He asked, fixing his blue stare upon his black haired teammate with a look that just begged him to disagree. Sasuke made a quiet 'hn' sound as he rose from the chair and brushed himself off. Sakura took that as a form of agreement to Naruto's words as she laughed softly and moved to grab her keys from the keyring beside the door. "Let's get going. We wouldn't want to keep Mikoto waiting."

And with that, the three of them were off.

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**Author's Note****: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of the story. I can't guarantee that updates will be frequent, but I will do my best to try to update often. I will warn you that chapters may be short and that's fine with me. I tend to do terribly if I try to force a super long chapter. If you liked the story, let me know in a review. See you in the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ravens and Cherry Blossoms**

**Written by: SorrowoftheHeart**

**Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Naruto or the characters from it**.

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**Chapter II**

Mikoto Uchiha was a fairly well known woman, being the matriarch of the Uchiha clan. She was a skilled kunoichi back in her prime and an excellent mother. She was also really talented at cooking. She was the kind of woman that was the perfect idea of a stay home mother. They had just arrived at Sasuke's house and Mikoto had ushered them inside. Now that they were there, she took a moment to look over Sakura and beamed at her.

"Happy birthday, Sakura dear! Doesn't she look lovely, Fugaku?" Mikoto had to keep herself from squealing at the beautiful young lady before her, dark eyes glistening in happiness as she hugged her. Fugaku didn't even look up from the newspaper he was so conveniently reading, offering her nothing more than a quiet grunt. Though others might consider his actions rude, Sakura was used to the Uchiha Patriarch's behavior.

As the elder woman released the pink haired girl, she stepped back to take one more look at her before beaming again. "Now, make yourself at home. We'll be starting as soon as supper is done." While the trio sat down in the living room, the matron turned to see her eldest son slipping in wearing his anbu gear. "Ah, Itachi! Just in time! Quick, go shower and get dressed. It's Sakura's birthday and we're having a very special dinner." She shooed off her son who merely gave her a nod before he disappeared up the stairs. Sakura couldn't help but blush a little, doing her best not to allow her gaze to trail after the long haired Uchiha.

Once upon a time, Sakura had been head over heels for Sasuke, just like every other girl in her school. Being placed on his team had been a godsend in her eyes, giving her the chance to get to know him and her blond teammate. Later on, Sakura would decide that she didn't quite feel the same about Sasuke nor did he return her feelings. She was still attracted to him in a way, but her childhood crush had long since vanished in the years of being on the same team as him.

However, it was known that good looks must be a genetic thing when it came to the Uchiha family, as every one of them were unfairly beautiful in their own way. Not only were they attractive, but talent ran strong in their family, especially when it came to a certain Uchiha heir. Although Sakura was determined not to let it be known, she had begun developing a crush on Itachi Uchiha that she would claim as admiration only. Though she did indeed admire him, she also fancied him but knew he never really noticed her.

Unknown to her, Itachi Uchiha was well aware of the little spitfire medic on his little brother's team and found himself intrigued by her. Her perfect chakra control and history with the Hokage made him ever the curious one. Of course, he let no one knew of this little developing interest.

Fortunately, Naruto was oblivious and Sasuke plain out refused to believe that Sakura would be like everyone else and fawn over his older brother. Though there had been a time when she too was a drooling fangirl, just like all of the girls in the Academy. Sakura averted her gaze and then stood up, ignoring the beginning bickering of her two male teammates that seemed to fight over everything. She headed into the kitchen where Mikoto had disappeared into and tilted her head as she spotted the woman.

"Do you need any help, Mikoto?" Said woman paused as she turned to glance over at Sakura, clicking her tongue at the younger female. "Thank you, but no. I've got this dear and didn't I tell you to make yourself at home? You're the birthday girl, after all! Fret not, everything's almost done. You might want to go keep an eye on the boys, I can already hear them in another argument and I would hate for Fugaku to get annoyed with them."

Sakura turned her head in the direction of the living room, hearing what sounded like Naruto tackling Sasuke from the couch. Or perhaps it was the other way around? She turned on her heel and hurried into the living room, just in time to see Fugaku putting down his paper and leveling a stern gaze on the two boys rough housing on the floor. "That's enough. Behave!" He barked out, giving the trademark Uchiha scowl. Sasuke and Naruto immediately separated and resumed sitting on the couch, though it was obvious Sasuke was sulking.

She shook her head at her two teammates and went to sit down in between them, placing a hand on both of them. "What were you two even fighting about?" She whispered, chancing a glance to see if Fugaku had returned to his paper or not. Fortunately, he had.

Naruto straightened and stared at Sakura, pouting at her with his whiskered face. "Teme said ramen wasn't a real meal! Can you believe that, Sakura-chan? He's crazy, right?" Sakura stared back at her blond teammate and sighed; having a feeling it was something of the sort. "Haven't you two already argued about that numerous times? Don't answer that, Naruto." She cut off her friend who had every intention of answering but he quickly shut his mouth at the stern look from Sakura. Sasuke smirked as he stared at the floor, relieved that Sakura was focusing on Naruto. Unfortunately for him, her attention was now fixed on the youngest Uchiha.

"And you! Do you really have to egg him on when your father is in the room?"

"Perhaps my foolish little brother merely wants Father's attention?" A new voice piped in causing the three to look up to see a freshly showered and dressed Itachi Uchiha strolling towards them. He took a seat in a chair beside the couch, hair still a little damp from his shower and tied back in its usual ponytail. He smirked as Sasuke pinned a fierce glare on him.

"Shut it, Itachi."

Sakura sighed and leaned back against the couch, absently popping Sasuke upside the head and choosing to ignore the snigger from Naruto. "Boys, just try to behave… It's my birthday, after all."

"That's right, Sakura dear. It _is_ your birthday!" Mikoto beamed as she came out of the kitchen, smiling fondly at her daughter like figure. "I made your favorite cake for dessert, strawberry shortcake. I also made you some dango for later on."

Sakura smiled at the Uchiha matriarch and stood up to hug her. "Thank you so much, Mikoto. I really appreciate it."

"I know you do," Mikoto said with a twinkle in her eyes. "Supper's done so let's head to the table and get started and after that, it's present time!" She shooed the children into the dining room, patting her husband lightly on the shoulder to get his attention.

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**Author's Notes: How was chapter two? I hope you enjoyed it. Itachi was finally brought in and I look forward to having him interact with Sakura. This is my first Naruto fanfiction, so please go easy on me. Let me know what you think in a review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ravens and Cherry Blossoms**

**Written by: SorrowoftheHeart**

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Naruto.**

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**Chapter III**

Everyone sat around the Uchiha dining table with Fugaku at the head. To his right was his wife and to the left was his eldest son. Sitting beside his wife was Sasuke, while next to Itachi, Sakura had been nestled down with Naruto on her other side. She was a little nervous about sitting next to the famed anbu captain, but did her best not to show it.

"So Sakura, Sasuke tells me that you plan to join Anbu. Is this true?" Fugaku asked, leering at her with hooded eyes and his trademark frown. Sakura paused in eating, startled at the patriarch's question and lowered her chop sticks.

"Not entirely, Fugaku-san. I have made mention of it to my teammates, but I'm unsure if I actually want to join. For now, I'm content with being a jounin and a medic working at the hospital." She calmly took a sip from her tea cup, shifting her green eyes to her black haired teammate who merely shrugged.

"You practically run the hospital by yourself now that Tsunade is Hokage and Shizune-san away. It must be so stressful, dear. I'm sure there are plenty of other medics willing to shoulder some of your burden to give you time to relax." Mikoto smiled at the pink haired girl, a twinkle still in her eye. "Is this food okay? I tried to make something you would like."

"It tastes great, Mikoto. I really do appreciate it. I'm looking forward to trying that cake and later on, the dango." Sakura smiled at the matron, picking her chop sticks up once more to resume eating. Silence fell upon the dining room, which was a little surprising given that Naruto was in the room. However, he was trying to be good and not ruin Sakura's birthday.

Over the years, he had gotten better at controlling himself but there were still times when he couldn't help but be his loud, usual self. He was still aiming for the title of Hokage, unaware that Tsunade was already considering making Naruto her successor.

Dinner passed in relative silence, with the occasional conversation that was mostly started by Mikoto. Sakura did her best to keep up with the older female, laughing every now and then. As dessert was brought to the table and served, Sakura eagerly took a bite from the slice of cake using the fork provided. The sweetness melted on her tongue as she savored the taste, soon swallowing her mouthful to replace it with another.

She always did love Mikoto's cooking, especially when it came to desserts. She didn't see why the woman didn't open up her own restaurant. Of course, Mikoto only cooked for her family and those close to them like Naruto and Sakura. They were practically family anyways. Not to mention, Mikoto had known both of their mothers.

After dessert was done, it was time for presents. Sakura had insisted on helping put away the dishes but Mikoto had once again shot her down and insisted she had it covered. They were all in the living room, minus Fugaku who had wandered off to do some paperwork for the Police Department.

"Really, you shouldn't have gotten me anything," Sakura protested as Mikoto came in with the presents, Naruto's included. "Nonsense, dear! With your parents away on a mission, it's only right for us to spoil you in their absence. Now open this one first. It's from me."

Accepting the handed present, Sakura peered at it from carefully removing the paper. Inside was a silver necklace, the pendant a cherry blossom. It would match her earrings and bracelet and she couldn't help but be touched by the gesture.

"Oh, it's lovely… I'm going to go ahead and put it on." "Oh, let me help you!" The female Uchiha scuttled over to Sakura and helped her put the necklace on and beamed at her. "I knew it you'd love it. Now open this one… it's from Sasuke."

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**Author's Notes****: I'm going to end it here. I find that writing short chapters makes me more inspired to keep writing more chapters. If you see any spelling mistakes, please let me know. Eventually, I will proof read and fix any errors that I see. I'm surprised that people seem to be enjoying the story. I hope you will continue to review and let me know what you think. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Ravens and Cherry Blossoms**

**Written by: SorrowoftheHeart**

**Disclaimer****: Still don't own Naruto.**

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**Chapter IV**

They had each gotten her such lovely gifts, despite her protests that they didn't have to do anything. Mikoto had gotten her the necklace, Sasuke had gotten her some books, and Naruto had gotten her this clay figurine of a slug, a toad, a snake grouped together. She had been both touched and amused at his reasoning behind the gift, but had thanked him nonetheless. Despite having originally not wanting to celebrate her birthday, she had a good time over at the Uchiha's.

She now sat on a cushion in the tea room, the doors opened to reveal the outside garden and small koi pond. It was so beautiful in the Compound, especially at the manor. Sasuke and Naruto had wandered off to the personal Uchiha training grounds, while she had elected to stay behind and relax with a cup of tea.

"Are you spending the night, Haruno-san?" A voice interrupted her thoughts, causing her to turn to pin her gaze on the source. She was surprised to see it was Itachi, watching as he eased himself down onto the cushion across the table from her. It wasn't often that she had interactions with the Anbu Captain.

"I… I'm not sure. I think your mother would love for me to but I don't want to be a bother. Besides, the boys are probably going to be training for quite some time." She turned her attention back to her tea, lifting the cup to her lips as she took a careful sip of the hot liquid. She was unaware of the keen eyes watching her every movement.

"You're not a bother, Haruno-san." Startled, Sakura looked up at Itachi to see he was smiling very slightly. For some reason, it bothered her for him to be so formal, though it was how he was.

"Itachi-san, please, call me Sakura. We've known each other since I was a child, so you don't have to be so formal." The male shinobi nodded, turning his gaze to the garden outside. He fell silent, comfortable in her presence while she took another sip of her tea.'

The clan heir turned to study her once more, noting that she was oblivious to his scrutiny. She really was an exotic looking woman. Natural pale pink hair and apple green eyes that were a window to her soul. One could always have an idea of what she was thinking or feeling if they looked at her expressive orbs.

He opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it as a poofing sound could be heard just outside. He turned his attention to see an Anbu crouching on the porch, face hidden beneath a porcelain mask. "Yes?" Itachi drawled, eyes hooded as he regarded the shinobi and thus drawing Sakura's attention to him.

"Uchiha-san, Haruno-san, Hokage-sama would like to see you in her office right now." With his message delivered, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving the two alone while Sakura blinked.

What could Tsunade-shishou want from them? She set her tea cup down and looked at Itachi, already rising to her feet. "Well, I suppose we might as well head to the Tower. Lady Tsunade does not like being kept waiting, trust me."

"Hn," Itachi murmured softly, rising swiftly as well. "Indeed, let us be off."

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**Author's Note****:** **I hope everyone is enjoying the story and I'm sorry that there's not much ItaSaku interaction just yet. I promise it'll happen more as the story progresses. I also apologize if things seem to be slow. I don't want to rush into things and I'm also still deciding what I want to do with this story, plot wise. Let me know what you think in a review. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Ravens and Cherry Blossoms**

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Naruto.**

**Author's Notes****: I am astounded by the sheer number of favorites and follows this story is getting. It makes me really happy to see that my readers are enjoying it as much as I am writing it. I would like to thank each and every one of you for your support and I hope you will continue to do so. So, here's a chapter just for you guys. **

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**Chapter V**

Sakura found herself staring at the proud emblem of the Uchiha clan, the red and white colors reflecting in her expressive green eyes. She was trailing behind Itachi who was quick to lead, though she had no idea why he had decided to walk instead of teleporting to the Hokage Tower. After all, hadn't he agreed that it would be unwise to make Tsunade wait for their arrival? Well, she supposed he knew what he was doing and she didn't mind the stroll through the compound and into the village.

So lost in her thoughts, she did not notice Itachi had stopped until she ran straight into his back. With a muffled grunt, she stepped back and looked up at him apologetically as he turned to raise an eyebrow at her.

"Thoughts, Sakura-san?" Was that mischief dancing in his coal eyes? She couldn't tell, but she knew that smirk meant he was amused about something. Was there something on her face? Had she done something wrong? Her mind then focused on his words and she flushed lightly, circling around to stand beside him.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just admiring the Uchiwa on your back. Let's not tarry." Without waiting for him, she leaped up onto the rooftops and hurried to the Hokage Tower. He chuckled softly and merely disappeared, deciding to go ahead of her.

When Sakura finally reached the Hokage Tower, she realized that she was alone and figured that he must have gone on ahead. Doing her best not to mutter unpleasant things about the captain, she slipped inside of the building and smiled at those who waved and greeted her.

It wasn't long until she stood in front of the large doors of the Hokage's office, unable to help but wonder what it was that Tsunade could want. She knocked on the door, hearing the booming voice of the Hokage telling her to come in. Just as she did that, she noticed that Itachi was indeed waiting in the room with the Hokage. She closed the door behind her and approached the busty blonde, dipping into a bow.

"Lady Tsunade, sorry if I'm late." Amber eyes watched her carefully before Tsunade snorted and waved a hand dismissively at her apprentice. "Don't worry about it. Go ahead and take a seat, Sakura. You too, Uchiha."

Once the two of them were seated, she laced her fingers together beneath her chin, resting her weight on her hands. She stared at them for a good while before sighing and leaning back in her chair and unlacing her hands.

"All right, I imagine that you're wondering why I have summoned you here, Sakura." She took a moment to pause, reaching beneath her desk to pull out a bottle of sake along with a glass. She took her time in pouring herself some and taking a sip from the warm liquor. Sakura sat patiently in her chair, though on the inside she was dying to know what it was that stressed Tsunade out so much to already have her start drinking. Then again, the Hokage loved her booze.

Smacking her lips together after swallowing, she set the glass down on her desk and returned her attention to the patient duo. "All right, listen up! It's come to my attention that Anbu Squad #1 has yet to have a medic on their team. Since Uchiha here is the leader of said squad, normally I would not worry but the elders are nagging at me to start cracking down on stuff like this…"

She then rose from her chair, crossing her arms over her generous chest and turned to stare out of the window. Sakura didn't know what this had to do with her, but it explained why Itachi was here. She watched her teacher carefully, knowing that Tsunade was dallying in spilling it all.

"Sakura, as my apprentice, you are one of the best medics. You've even surpassed me—don't bother denying it, Sakura— so it's only fit that you would be requested to be the medic of the number one team. Now I know you didn't want to join Anbu just yet, but I could really use you here. Shizune will be returning tomorrow and can take over the head duties of the hospital, thus leaving you free to take missions with your new team. This also means that you will be inducted into Anbu. Do you have any questions?"

The blonde turned to look at her apprentice, a frown perched on her painted lips. Sakura was shocked as she stared at the older woman, having not even suspected that this would be the case. "But Tsunade-shishou… are you sure?"

One amber eye twitched as the famous temper of the hokage flared, a growl escaping her lips as she pinned her stare on Sakura. "Are you questioning me, Sakura?"

"N-no, of course not, Lady Hokage." Sakura quickly bowed her head, hoping to appease her teacher before she broke something with that massive strength of hers.

Tsunade plopped down onto her seat and filled the empty cup with more sake, quickly gulping it down and ignoring the burning of the liquor. She needed to get wasted and fast. "Uchiha will be informing you of anything you'll need to know, including when you get your uniform and tattoo. That's all. You're dismissed. Get out of here!" She shooed them with her hands, leaning back in her chair once more.

Sakura nodded and rose, turning to face Itachi only to find that he had once again disappeared. Her eye twitched slightly before she exited the room, closing the door quietly behind her. For a long while she stood outside of the office, staring down at the floor in shock. Eventually, she snapped out of her daze and started to walk off but paused when the door slammed open.

Tsunade sauntered out with a gift in her hand, a softer look on her features. "I almost forgot… Happy birthday, Sakura. It's not much but maybe it'll help you out." Sakura smiled at her teacher, accepting the gift and enveloping the older woman in a hug.

"Arigato, Shishou."

"Now get going!" Tsunade said after releasing her student, a proud look to her amber eyes as she shooed the pink haired girl off. Any fears that Sakura had felt bubbling up within her had been brushed aside at the warm actions of her teacher. "Thank you again, Tsunade-shishou. Make sure to hide that sake before Shizune gets back tomorrow."

Sakura turned to walk off, Tsunade's laughter filling the halls of the Hokage Tower.

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**Author's Note****: Well, Sakura just received a lovely gift from Tsunade. What did you guys think of the scene? Did I do okay on writing Tsunade? I've always adored the busty kunoichi and her famous temper. I had a lot of fun writing as her and hope I didn't butcher her. I'm thinking of adding a certain older cousin of Itachi's in the next chapter, but I'm unsure of how I want to play him. If anyone has any suggestions or thoughts, please let me know in a review. Again, thank you for your support and I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ravens and Cherry Blossoms**

**Disclaimer****: -insertdisclaimerhere-**

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**Chapter VI**

Green eyes were closed in concentration, a blank expression upon the features of Haruno Sakura. The sound of a kunai whizzing through the air sounded, causing her eyes to snap open as her body moved out of the way of the weapon. It was swiftly followed by several more, which she flawlessly dodged. Training with Tsunade certainly had its perks. If there was one key factor that she had learned while training under her mentor, it was that one did not want to be hit by the busty blonde unless one wanted to end up in pieces or a broken mess.

Her eyes narrowed as she went on the offensive, slamming her gloved fist down into the earth and causing the ground beneath it to rupture as it spread towards her opponent. Had her opponent not been who he was, this trick may have made him stumble. But instead, he jumped out of the way and gave a grin, dark eyes glinting in mischief.

"Wow, they really weren't kidding when they said you inherited her superhuman strength, kitten!" Her opponent was none other than Shisui Uchiha, cousin of Sasuke and Itachi. He was also a member of the number one anbu squad. Sakura's eye twitched at the nickname and she ran forward, leaping into the air and lifting her leg.

"Quit playing around and take me seriously, Uchiha-san!" She bit out through ground teeth, coming down upon him. He merely stood in place, grinning up at her without his sharigan activated. He whistled at the view and moments before her powerful kick could land, he had disappeared. She cursed as she landed on the ground, the earth groaning in protest as a crater was made in the wake of her might. She straightened, dusting herself off as her green eyes darted around the training grounds in search of the Uchiha.

"It seems you've also inherited her temper. It really doesn't suit such a lovely blossom as yourself, you know~" Shisui half sang as he appeared behind her, taking advantage of her surprise to push her to the ground. However, she wasn't going down without a fight and spun around, leg shooting out to knock him out from his feet. His eyes widened and before he knew it, he found himself landing hard on the ground while she caught herself in a crouch. Perhaps he had been underestimating her and now it was time to get serious. Tomoes spun to life as his sharigan activated, the older male quick to rise to his feet but before he could do anything, the match was cut off.

"Shisui that is enough." Itachi Uchiha stood with his back to a tree, arms crossed over his chest loosely as he watched over the match. He was impressed with Sakura's speed and prowess, though it was to be expected. He knew that he had made the right choice in picking her as their medic.

Shisui paused and looked at his younger cousin, a pout forming on his lips as he threw his hands up in the air. "Aw, but Ita-chan! I was just about to warm up and show her how a real Uchiha fights! Spoil sport!"

"Do not call me that," Itachi said in a monotone voice, uncrossing his arms from over his chest as he approached the two. Sakura finally rose from the ground and dusted herself off, inwardly a little annoyed that the match had been called off. She had also just been about to unleash a can of whip ass on the snarky shinobi.

"That was excellent, Haruno-san. Just as much as I would expect from the Hokage's apprentice and more. However, your movements were a little sluggish and if Shisui hadn't been holding back, you would have been defeated numerous times." Without batting an eye, the captain turned towards his cousin and gave him a sharp look. "I do not believe you were asked to hold back, though. We are trying to judge how much training she will need."

Disbelief showed on Sakura's features as her taichou's words registered in her mind. Her eye twitched slightly, anger bubbling up within her but she forcefully shoved it back down. It was just like the _perfect _Uchiha to undermine her efforts. As much as she longed to give her captain a piece of her mind, admiration be damned, she wisely kept mute.

"Training is over and I trust that next time, Genma will show up for the meeting." He had a disappointed look to him, only picked up by a person that was used to the Uchiha and their mannerism. The kunoichi blew some cotton candy hair from her face and wiped the sweat from her brow. "Is that all, Taichou or am I free to leave?" She pinned her gaze on him, temper already cooling off while he was quiet. He turned to look at her, but didn't say anything. Instead, Shisui came up beside Sakura and draped an arm around her shoulders, grinning.

"Don't worry about him. That's his way of saying that it's over. Aunt Mikoto is cooking a big delicious dinner and in celebration of your anbu induction! You should totally come and save Sasucakes the trouble of having to track you down."

Disgruntled, the female removed his arm from around her shoulders and began walking away. "I'll be there after I stop by my apartment. I need to get showered and changed but I'll see you two there." She didn't look back as she walked away, heading back to her apartment.

_Perhaps I'll take a bath instead of a shower… my muscles are aching and I didn't even do much! I must be out of shape… but then again, do I really have the time to soak in the tub? _Her body moved as if on autopilot as she unlocked the door, going to flip the lights on only for them to already be on. She paused, senses alert as she snapped out of her thoughts and looked around, knowing she was not alone.

"There you are, Forehead! I thought you'd never get home," The sound of a female voice came from the kitchen and moments later, one Ino Yamanaka stepped into the living room with her hands upon her hips. Her blue eyes were narrowed and pinned on the form of her best friend, pausing as she took in her sweaty appearance.

"Pig, what are you doing in here?" Sakura asked, a smidgen annoyed that her friends just seemed to love breaking into her home and making their selves comfortable. Ino eyed her friend in disgust, shaking her head and causing her blonde ponytail to sway from side to side.

"It can wait, Sakura. Go get showered before you stink up the whole apartment!" She made a shooing gesture with her hands. The pink haired girl snorted and closed the door behind her and walked past her friend while ignoring her dramatized sounds of disgust.

Fifteen minutes later and a freshly showered and dressed Sakura sat across the table from the Yamanaka heiress, a cup of steaming tea in front of both of the girls. "So why again are you here, Ino?"

Ino calmly took a careful sip of the hot tea, savoring the taste before swallowing and lowering the glass. "I just wanted to check up on you. You've been busier than usual and I know it's not because of the Hospital. I work there too, you know!" The blonde narrowed her blue eyes once more, crossing her arms over her generous chest.

"I told you before; I've been training with my new team, Ino. Now that I'm in Anbu, I have to work hard to impress my taichou." Sakura sighed as she slumped in her chair, dejectedly eying her glass of tea.

"Forehead, you look like someone spit in your tea. Did something happen today at training?" Ino leaned forward, blue eyes probing for answers as she searched her friend's face. A snort was her response before Sakura sighed again, feeling her anger creep up again.

"He said that my movements were sluggish! Can you believe him? I've trained with Tsunade, his brother, and Naruto! I've even trained with Lee, Neji, and so many more! Sure, I'm a little out of shape from slaving away in the hospital but we can't all be perfect like him." Her green eyes wandered to the clock before they widened at the sight of the time.

"Shit, I forgot that I have to head to the Compound. Mikoto's made up her mind to cook up a feast in celebration of getting my tattoo and everything. Sorry, Pig, but I gotta jet!" And without waiting for a response or finishing her tea, Sakura jumped up and ran out of her apartment, ignoring the protests of her friend.

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**Author's Notes: I wanted to bring in Shisui and I hope that you enjoy his personality. I've always liked that although his personality is widely unknown, most people adapt him into a flirtatious playboy but he's not just that. I also decided to bring Ino for a little girl time before Sakura had to jet. Tell me what you think in a review and I'll see you in the next chapter! I'm open to suggestions on different scenes as well. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Ravens and Cherry Blossoms**

**Author's Notes: Hey, long time no see everyone! I just wanted to apologize for the delay in getting a chapter up. I've been pretty busy and writer's block decided to attack me. However, I'm back now though I may still not be able to update as fast as I previously did. Anyways, on with the chapter!**

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**Chapter VII**

"You're late." Coal eyes stared indifferently at the female before him, though it was obvious that he was annoyed but only to those who knew him well. The pink haired woman in front of him knew all too well how cranky her teammate could be, but she wasn't taking his little temper tantrum to heart. She rolled her eyes and pushed past him, purposely bumping her shoulder against his.

"I'm not that late, Sasuke." She swept past him into the living room after he had answered the door, ignoring the irritated sigh of the Uchiha boy as he closed the door and padded after her. Sakura paused and tossed a glance over her shoulder at Sasuke, raising a pink eyebrow at him. When he said nothing, she rolled her eyes again and instead headed directly for the kitchen where she knew that the Uchiha matriarch was toiling away.

However, before she could do so, a hand seemingly shot out of no where and dragged her into the room she had almost passed and her instincts flared as she raised a fist to punch her supposed assailant. Her fist froze inches in front of the grinning face, a huff escaping her lips when she saw who it was.

"Shisui, don't do that!" She yanked her arm from his grip, not yet noticing that they were not alone in the sitting room. Shisui blinked owlishly for a moment before breaking out into a grin once more and ruffled Sakura's pink hair.

"What? No hello? I'm hurt, kitten."

"Don't call me that!" Sakura's eye twitched as her temper began to flare, her green eyes narrowing dangerously as she scowled at the taller male before her. A quiet sigh broke their little staring contest as green eyes turned to find the source. One Itachi Uchiha sat on the couch, nursing a cup of tea with his eyes currently closed.

"Shisui, desist before you get punched. I will not make a move to help you." He opened his eyes and stared at his older cousin blankly, before lifting the cup of tea to his lips and taking a careful sip of the hot liquid.

"T-taichou..." Sakura stuttered, cheeks flushing in embarrassment that he had just witnessed her childish behavior with his older cousin. Her earlier irritation at him had obviously been forgotten. His gaze slipped to her and he eyed her for a moment before shaking his head.

"Sakura, there's no need for that. We're not on a mission, so please refer to me as Itachi. Please, ignore my cousin and have a seat." He gestured to the empty seat beside him before focusing once more on his cup of tea.

Sakura flushed and moved to take a seat beside him, though she sat as far away as possible without being obvious about it. She didn't want to invade his personal space, especially if he was anything like his younger brother. Sasuke entered the room, arms crossed over his chest and scowled at Shisui.

"Why are you even here, Shisui? I don't remember you being invited, tch."

Shisui placed a hand on his chest, a mock look of hurt flashing across his features. "Aw, Sasu-chan, that's so mean! Of course I was invited. I _am _family, after all. You're just mad you have to share Sakura-chan with us."

The eighteen year old male bristled, looking ready to retort but thought better of it when he caught a glimpse of his father. Like a good boy, he sat down and kept quiet. Though, that didn't stop him from glowering at Shisui who also took a seat, grin still in place.

Sakura sighed softly, already feeling a headache forming as she tried her best to keep her temper in check. As silence settled into the room, it was soon broken by the sound of soft footsteps before Mikoto poked her head into the room and beamed at the sight of Sakura.

"Oh, you're here!" She shimmied into the room, moving to stand near the pink haired girl. "I can't tell you how proud I am of you, dear." It was no secret that Mikoto treated her like the daughter she never had. She couldn't help but dote on the female who kept her youngest son in line all of the time.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss this dinner for the world." Sakura smiled at the older woman, her expression genuine as she took in Mikoto's appearance. She had dressed up a little, but she still wore her apron. It was nothing fancy and she looked as beautiful as she always did. Sakura couldn't help but envy the beauty of the Uchiha.

"I'll get you some tea, darling. I'll be right back." Before Sakura could protest, she had already scuttled away and back into the kitchen. Shisui snickered while Sasuke and Itachi remained silent, one with a scowl on his lips while the other had a blank expression on his features. Sakura couldn't help but chuckle softly as she rose from her seat. "Excuse me," She murmured softly to the trio before going to meet Mikoto in the kitchen, the smell of delicious cooking food wafting under her nose.

The woman turned at the sound of Sakura's footsteps and tilted her head with a small frown. "You didn't have to get up. I was going to bring it to you."

"Oh, it's okay, Mikoto-san. I just wanted to see if you needed any help in the kitchen, with the food."

"Oh no, dear. I've got it... here you go. Be careful, it's very hot." She handed the kunoichi the cup of tea, a smile on her lips. "Fugaku won't be able to join us tonight. He told me that he had to head to the Police Station. He just left, but he wishes you well."

Sakura lifted the tea cup to her lips, blowing softly on the hot liquid before taking a careful sip. She looked thoughtful as she leaned against the counter, watching as Mikoto turned back around to continue fussing around the kitchen.

"He sure does work a lot, doesn't he?" Sakura mused aloud, mostly to herself as she continued to watch Mikoto bustle about the kitchen. The older woman paused, before glancing at the pink haired girl as her expression softened. "He really does. He does his best for us and I couldn't be happier to be his wife. Why don't you go back to the sitting room? I'll let you know when everything's done cooking and you can help me set the table. How does that sound, dear?"

"All right." Sakura pushed off of the counter and walked out of the kitchen, returning to the sitting room. Before she could even step foot in the room, there was a banging on the front door. Sasuke scowled and hurriedly got up and stalked towards the door, already knowing who it was.

He opened the door to reveal a flustered Naruto, his blue eyes wide as he grabbed onto Sasuke and shook him a little. "Teme, have you seen Sakura? I can't find her anywhere! What if something happened to her?!" Sasuke slapped his blond teammate's hands away, glaring at him. "Idiot, you're making a scene."

Sakura was confused about why Naruto seemed so worried and walked over to the door, peering around Sasuke. "Naruto, what's wrong? I'm right here... I thought you would have known I was having dinner here. Didn't Sasuke tell you?" She glanced at her raven haired teammate who crossed his arms over his chest and looked away from her, the answer obvious to her.

Naruto looked relieved to see her and wrapped her up in a bear hug, holding her tight as he inhaled her scent and sighed softly. "No, he didn't tell me anything... Hey! Why wasn't I invited?! You know I love Mikoto's cooking!" He released his female teammate and shook a fist at Sasuke, scowling at him.

Before Sasuke could retort, she smacked both of her boys upside the head, her eye twitching slightly. "Knock it off, you two."

"Is that Naruto-kun? I was wondering why he hadn't shown up yet. Sasuke, step aside and let him in." Mikoto pulled her son away before enveloping the blond in a hug.

"I told him to tell you, but I guess he didn't. I'm sorry, dear. Dinner's almost ready and you've arrived just in time. Hasn't he, Sakura?" She beamed at the girl and shooed the three into the sitting room after making sure the door was closed behind them.

Sakura made sure to pick up her tea cup when she returned to the sitting room, having left it behind so she wouldn't spill it. Itachi had left the room, but Shisui was still there as he waved at Naruto.

"Hey Naruto! I guess Sasu-chan really did 'forget' to tell you. He's so mean, isn't he?"

"Yeah! That teme!" Naruto glared at Sasuke before plopping down on the floor, sitting cross legged as he huffed childishly. Sakura rolled her eyes as she took her place on the couch, noting that Itachi's tea cup was still here and empty. She couldn't help but wonder where he had gotten off to but figured it wasn't any of her business.

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**Author's Note: Originally, I had intended to make this chapter longer than usual but I decided against it. I've had this written for awhile now, but I've been a bit busy and lacking motivation. Let me know what you think in a review! Also, I'd like to apologize for the little amount of ItaSaku interaction. I'm a bit nervous about writing Itachi wrong, so I've been focusing more on Sakura. I'll try and fix that, though. **


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